Some goodbyes come with fanfare. Others happen more quietly, because they have to. A few days before his 62nd birthday, Dirk Demeersman has chosen to leave on tiptoe. No more boots. No more saddle. No more lorries to load before dawn. The former Belgian Olympian is officially passing the reins. And he is doing it with three horses born at his place, raised at his place, shaped by him… now entrusted to Olivier Philippaerts to write the next chapter.
Some handovers feel like declarations of love
For the past two weeks, a new trio has been drawing attention at the Philippaerts stables.
One grey, one bay. One almost white.
Their names already tell a story: Carrasco Z, a ten-year-old stallion by Cornet Obolensky out of a Diamant de Semilly mare; Côte d’Or Z, another ten-year-old stallion, by Carambole out of a Diamant de Semilly mare; Little Fellow Z, a seven-year-old gelding by Leandro VG out of a Diamant de Semilly mare.
They share one obvious thing in common: all three are out of Diamond’s Billy, a BWP mare bred by Koen de Waele.
They share another, far more intimate one.
They were all born at Dirk Demeersman’s place.
And above all, they are the final three horses into which the rider from Sint-Truiden had invested what remained of his sporting dreams.
“They were all born here. They all have the same mother. And I said: with these ones, maybe I want to try to go a bit higher again. I built them… but honestly, I’ve had enough.”
The sentence almost lands with a smile. But it says far more than fatigue.
The hardest part is not stopping. It is knowing when to stop.
In a sport where many hold on until one horse too many, or one show too many, Dirk Demeersman has chosen a different exit.
One guided by honesty.
“I always said: the moment I feel I am starting to get in the way of my horses’ careers, I will stop.”
Today, he believes that moment has arrived. The two older horses are ten.
They have already jumped up to 1.50m and 1.55m. For him, they are ready. Just… no longer for him.
“I think they are ready now to go further. And I do not want to slow down their careers.”
The assessment is clear-headed.
Without bitterness.
Because the very highest level demands a rhythm that three horses can no longer provide.
Because the kilometres, the health papers, the tachographs and the travelling have become a discipline of their own.
Because the body, too, eventually starts talking.
Age is there. My body is worn out. It has been a few weeks since I last rode a horse… and I have to say, I already feel a bit better. A bit younger.”
So he chose Olivier Philippaerts
The transfer is not a sale. It is trust.
Already last year, Olivier Philippaerts had asked about their future.
The answer came this season.
“I like Olivier, he rides well. He also does not have a huge pack of good horses at the moment. So we decided to give them to him.”
Read: to entrust them to him.
Ce n’est pas un hasard si les chevaux ont pris la direction des écuries Philippaerts. Les deux hommes se connaissent depuis longtemps. Ils ont partagé les équipes nationales, comme cavaliers, puis l’un des deux est devenu chef d’équipe. Les deux hommes s’estiment, la confiance était déjà là. Les chevaux n’ont fait que suivre.
Demeersman reste propriétaire. Pour le moment en tout cas.
The case of Côte d’Or Z is very clear.
“Côte d’Or is not for sale. The other two, we will see. If something interesting comes along, they will be for sale. But it is not as though we are now putting them in the shop window.”
After a few weeks at Philippaerts’ yard, the first feedback is encouraging.
“Olivier is positive, he likes them. We will see.”
he rest now belongs to the arena.
Du côté d’Olivier Philippaerts on apprécie la confiance et le geste. Le cavalier teste Côte d’Or ce week-end à Chantilly. Les autres il verra ensuite s’il continue avec lui même ou si c’est un autre membre de la famille qui les prendra dans son piquet.
A long career of 2,526 international starts
To say that Dirk Demeersman is hanging up his boots would almost be to forget everything he leaves behind.
Dirk a grandi dans une famille d’hommes de cheval avant de se révéler en catégorie poneys. Edelbert lui ouvre les portes du très haut niveau et l’emmène jusqu’aux Jeux olympiques de Barcelone en 1992.
Then came Clinton.
The horse of a lifetime. The one who would change the Belgian’s trajectory for good.
With the Holsteiner stallion, Demeersman wrote the finest chapter of his career: fourth at the Athens Olympic Games in 2004, second in the mythical Grand Prix of Aachen in 2005, winner of the World Cup leg in Mechelen in 2006.
Then came Bufero van het Panishof, team bronze at the World Equestrian Games in Lexington in 2010, a third Olympic appearance in London in 2012, and several European Championships.
Et, après sa carrière sportive (la première), un passage remarqué comme chef d’équipe de la Belgique. Sous sa direction, ceux qui sont encore loin d’être les red musketters du jumping remportent notamment la Finale des Coupes des Nations FEI 2015 à Barcelone ainsi que le classement général de la Division 1 européenne.
Au total, le cavalier belge aura cumulé 2.526 départs internationaux.
Thousands of rounds. Thousands of kilometres.
And a few memories that will last longer than the rankings.
When asked which ones come back first, the answer comes instantly.
“Athens. Second in the Grand Prix of Aachen. Winning the World Cup in Mechelen. And winning the Grand Prix of Rome too…”
As if everything else could almost fit inside that simple list.
The rider stops. The horse remains.
Do not expect Dirk Demeersman to disappear completely from the showgrounds, however.
There is little chance of seeing him come back one day. He has already done that. But this time, it feels like the real one.
Mais il continuera à entraîner. À former. À faire grandir les jeunes chevaux de l’élevage.
The three-year-olds are already waiting to be backed, the four- and five-year-olds are taking over, and a new generation is growing behind the stable doors.
“We still have plenty of young horses at home. I take care of that a bit. I train some people too… we will see what it becomes.”
